Letter: Fish wars: Spain sails against Canada and the Commonwealth

Sir: In his report about the unfortunate dispute about fishing rights in the north-western Atlantic ("EU points finger at Canada in fish war," 11 March), Andrew Marshall suggest that the EC, very properly concerned, "has threatened retaliatory measures". If the Spanish warship heading to the area is an example of such measures, then the EC has set a dangerous precedent which ought to be resisted. The UK did not sign up to a European army.

From the British standpoint, however inconvenient Canada's actions are, Her Majesty's government in the United Kingdom can do no more than moan at Her Majesty's government in Canada. There is no objective wrong and neither set of Her Majesty's ministers can claim any moral superiority. Certainly, the UK cannot come into conflict with Canada at the EC's behest, since Her Majesty cannot be at war with herself. If a Spanish vessel were to fire upon Her Majesty's forces, albeit of the Royal Canadian Armed Forces, the Spaniards would at once be the Queen's enemies.

The UK and Canada are entirely autonomous politically but are otherwise inseparable. For that reason Canada jumped to our aid the moment the UK entered the Second World War. The UK is bound to Canada by the same obligations. Even if Canada were do something monumentally reckless, such as seizing St Pierre and Miquelon, we would be bound to adhere to our fellow subjects and blood relatives the Canadians, rather than to foreigners with whom we have mere trade relations.

I cannot imagine nations coming to blows over the current argument but Her Majesty's Government UK would do well to remind our European neighbours that the EC cannot dispatch military forces. Certainly not, with impunity, against other Commonwealth lands.

Yours faithfully,

RUPERT A. H. BARNES

Cambridge

13 March